


Manchild

by cynatnite



Series: The Clint Barton and Tony Stark Playbook of Brothers [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Clint Needs a Hug, Gen, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 19:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11088042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynatnite/pseuds/cynatnite
Summary: Tony Stark meets a young Clint Barton and proceeds to give him the home he always wanted.





	Manchild

**Author's Note:**

> No canon compliance here at all. All errors belong to me.

It was one of those teachable moments again, Tony Stark thought with a sigh. The mix of popcorn and manure didn’t help his mood. They had driven nearly two hours for a circus of all things. Howard Stark’s attention was firmly on the horse act and Tony started to lean back and felt a knee at his shoulder. They were on uncomfortable metal bleachers.

Throughout the B-movie level act, the crowd around them for the most part was barely paying attention. A mix of talking, some laughter and a couple of kids tossing popcorn at unsuspecting and uncaring adults made it even more awful.

The poor act finally ended with the three old horses taking a bow. When the lights lowered, the audience quieted to see what was coming next. After a few minutes, a spotlight landed on a rotund man wearing a black coat with tails over a dirty button-up white shirt stood in the middle of the ring. He lifted the top hat from his hat and held up the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you a child prodigy for the ages. A boy archer who hits every target, who never misses! The feats you will see will never be matched anywhere in the world.”

“Hits every target and never misses means the same thing,” Tony muttered.

“Watch, Tony,” Howard told him.

Tony glanced over and saw his father had straightened and was leaning forward in interest. He turned his attention back to the ring.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Hawkeye!” The fat ringmaster waved his hand and the spotlight went to the top of the tent.

A skinny kid wearing purple sequence stood on a rope far above them. The boy drew his bow and let an arrow loose before diving to another rope. The arrow hit its target and the kid continued shooting as he worked his way to the trapeze. The audience’s rapt attention never wavered as the boy flipped, shot arrows at various targets. Spontaneous applause broke at the right moments and Hawkeye continued to amaze them throughout.

The climax of the act had one of the acrobats strapped to a wooden circle. As it spun, the boy let loose four arrows and they hit their spots exactly.

Tony was speechless as the audience jumped to their feet and cheered the act.

Howard nudged Tony and they left the tent.

“That’s some act,” Tony said still in awe of the feats. “Reflexes and good aim are one thing, but at the level he’s working…”

“Yes,” Howard nodded. “You can’t teach brilliance.”

“So, now we’re plucking kids out of circuses?”

“His name is Clint Barton and what I’ve got is spotty at best. Parents dead, brief stint in an orphanage. He has a brother who disappeared about a year ago.”

“You think he’ll thank us for saving him in order to work at Stark Industries.” Tony shook his head. “Dad, you’ll likely scare the hell out of the kid.”

Howard studied his 19-year-old son for a moment.

“That’s why you’re talking to him. We’ll put him in the SI dorms while he completes the work-study program I’m setting up. It’ll put his mind to good use and it gives him a start.”

“Or else he’ll want to live the life of a star. One phone call to William Morris would probably be more appealing than your idea of a good life.”

Tony watched his father start to walk away.

“Go talk to him, Tony,” Howard said over his shoulder.

Sighing, Tony turned and saw one of the roustabouts leaning against the tent smoking. He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a few bills. It didn’t take much for the guy to point a finger to an old trailer parked on the edge of the grounds.

Tony moseyed towards the place and stopped at the door. The voices were loud enough for him to hear.

“I earned that money!” Tony was sure that was Hawkeye aka Clint Barton.

“You cost me a good act, you little shit! Those bears were bringing in crowds!”

“That was not my fault!” He argued. “The vet you brought in called the cops. Evelyn told you not to push them and Poplar lost it with that fucking cattle prod you used!”

“Only because you couldn’t leave well enough alone,” the man sneered. “No pay for two weeks!”

“That’s not fucking fair!” Clint yelled back. “You’re stealing money I earned fair and square!”

Tony jerked straight when he heard the slap.

“You’re on cleanup and your act better not slip, you lazy shit!”

When the doorknob turned, Tony hurried around to the side of the trailer in order not to be seen. He peered around only to see the fat ringmaster slam the door and storm off.

Tony went back to the door and knocked.

“Go away. I’m busy!”

Ignoring the order, Tony went inside anyway. The scrawny kid wasn’t as young as Tony thought. He was a teenager who was angrily shoving his purple costume in a drawer.

“Hey!” Clint turned on him.

Tony held up his hands in mock surrender. “I just want to talk. Don’t blow a purple wad.”

Clint crossed his arms. “Talk. I’ve got work to do.”

“The name’s Tony Stark.” He held out his hand. When Clint remained unmoving Tony stepped back. “Name doesn’t ring a bell?”

“Should it?”

“Stark Industries, maker of blowing shit up?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it. You ain’t Howard Stark.”

“Thank god,” Tony muttered. “Listen, kid, we caught your act and you’ve got the brains for more and better if you’re willing to lose some sleep and work your ass off.”

“That’s got to be the worst recruitment speech ever.”

Tony blinked. “You’ve gotten one before?”

“Couple of times. But it was usually from assholes that weren’t interested in my brain.”

“I know a guy at William Morris.” Tony was sure he couldn’t sell a thing to a kid who was probably too smart for his own good.

“I’m no fucking charity case, you know. I make it okay.”

Tony’s eyes darted around the dirty trailer. “Yeah, I see that and the kindly employer treats you so well, too.”

“Fuck off!”

The air went out of Tony’s lungs and he leaned against a counter. “Listen, kid. We’re giving you the offer because the mental acuity it takes to do your act is off the charts. I’m not promising you a life of ease. You’ll have to work your ass off, but at least you’ll have a shot at a normal life.”

He could see the wheels turning in the kid’s head. “What if I want to leave?”

“Absolutely and we’ll make sure you’ve got the means to make a start for yourself. Nothing like what you’ve got now.”

“I hate it here,” Clint admitted in a low voice. “Anything’s got to be better than this. What do I have to do?”

Tony beamed. “Pack your stuff. Meet me at the red Porsche.”

“The red one?” Clint said raising an eyebrow. “You mean there’s more than one in the parking lot?”

They were going to get a long great.  

~*~

It took one look at Clint sitting on an unmade bed with a pillowcase full of clothes at the SI dorms for Tony to change his mind. The barely fifteen-year-old kid looked even more sorrowful than his orphan status.

He pulled into the drive and parked the car in front of the mansion. Clint’s eyes were large with uncertainty.

“Come on.”

Tony got out of the car and Clint followed with trepidation. They went inside and when the kid laid his eyes on the immense foyer, the large staircase winding along the wall, and the immense wealth the décor displayed he froze.

“Hey, it’s okay. Come on,” Tony encouraged.

Clint vehemently shook his head. “You’ve gotta take me back. I’ll break things and I’m dirty.”

Tony went to Clint. “Okay, here’s how it works around here. If you break anything, blame it on the dog.”

“You have a dog?”

“No, but we’ll get one. Number two, take a bath at least on a weekly basis. Thirdly…well, I’m sure we’ll come up with more as we go.”

“Okay,” Clint whispered. He looked down at his dirty sneakers and kicked them off. After picking them up, he followed Tony up the stairs.

“Do you take home strays all the time?” Clint asked. “Like a good deed kind of thing?”

“Nope. You’re the first.”

“And?” Clint couldn’t take his eyes off the immaculate home.

Tony went to a door and opened it. He motioned for Clint to enter. It was nothing short of luxurious.

“I don’t know,” Tony told him. “You’re like the kid brother I’ve never had.”

“I’ve been a kid brother,” Clint bit out. He didn’t want to put the dirty pillowcase down on anything. “Didn’t work out so great.”

“If it doesn’t work out, you can go back to the dorms. They don’t get satellite TV.” Tony caught the hole in one of Clint’s socks. His mother was going to love Clint. He was sure of it. “Hungry?”

“Okay.” Clint was starved. He’d had nothing since the dry cereal that morning.

Where they were eating wasn’t what Clint expected. Tony saw him hesitate and guided him into the informal dining room. Both his parents were waiting. Howard was reading the paper and Maria was sipping her tea while the maid sat the last of the food on the table.

Maria’s face lit up at the site of Tony. “Darling, you’re late.”

Tony moved forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Sorry, Mom.”

“And who’s this?” Maria asked.

“Mom, this is Clint Barton.”

“Hello, Clint.” She held out her hand.

Clint’s hand darted behind his back. “Ma’am.”

“Lisa, set another place.”

“Yes, Mrs. Stark.”

“Clint, you may wash your hands at the sink,” Maria kindly advised.

“Um…yes, Ma’am.”

When Clint left them, Tony saw the curious gaze of his father.

“I gave him the room next to mine.”

“Howard,” Maria said. “You weren’t going to have Tony leave Clint in those awful dorms, were you?”

Howard shifted in his chair. “A bad oversight on my part, sweetheart.”

Maria laid the napkin in her lap. Clint came back and took the empty seat next to Tony. No one spoke for a moment and then Tony picked up a serving bowl with vegetables and put some on Clint’s plate.

“Hey, jerk!” Clint got the bowl from him. “I’m not totally uncivilized!”

Clint was mortified by his reaction. “Sorry.”

Maria chuckled and Howard failed to hide his grin. Tony raised an eyebrow.

“Fine, brat. Fix your own plate.”

 

~*~

 

Fitting in the with the Stark family was easier than anyone expected. Clint felt weird with Maria taking him clothes shopping and was embarrassed by the huge wardrobe. No one said a word when Clint indulged in seven pairs of new shoes which he took to wearing one for every day of the week.

The exclusive school was another matter. Clint had a lot of catching up to do on his education and to make matters worse, most everyone saw him for what he was: poor white trash no matter who his beneficiaries were.  After three fights, Howard took him out and Clint was given private tutors.

The best part of it was not only working with Tony in his workshop, but also the piano lessons that Maria gave him herself. He flourished under her care so much that he gravitated to guitar lessons.

After nearly a year, Clint had thrived and grown. His skinny body was growing into manhood. Some things he hadn’t left behind in his impoverished past. Clint stuck with the archery and Howard had a small range put on the grounds along with a new state of the art bow. Tony and Clint conspired a more challenging course along with modified arrows that provided endless entertainment for the two of them. Many bushes on the grounds became victims of misfires and some not so intentional. They knew better than to get anywhere near Maria’s prize rose garden.

The one thing Clint shied away from was cameras. It was just as well, no one paid much mind to the extra kid that tagged along on the occasional outing. He could move behind a crowd while the Stark family posed in front of the photographers. Tony saw the discomfort and made sure Clint was out of the media spotlight.

After Clint got his driver’s license, he was headed upstairs. He wanted a car and he wasn’t about to have the Stark’s pay for it. Job applications were stuffed in his desk and he needed to start on them.

“Hey.”

Clint stopped halfway and Tony’s head was poking out of the library.

“Come here.”

“I’ve gotta…” Clint started.

“Won’t take long,” Tony promised.

He followed Tony into the library. Howard was at his desk and Maria sat on the leather sofa with a smile as soon as she saw him. He couldn’t help his grin at the sight of her. She was the mother he’d never had. Off to the side was Obadiah Stane. The tight smile didn’t reach his eyes. Clint had kept his distance and the older man did the same. They were rarely in the same room and when they were, barely a word was ever spoken. Clint just flat out didn’t trust him.

“Clint, would you have a seat?” Howard asked.

“Why?” Clint’s heart was pounding. What had he done wrong? His mind went back to the last several months trying to find a moment when he got in trouble. He’d kept all his work done, didn’t backtalk his tutors. He’d done his best to clean up the cursing that came so natural. Clint shot a look at Tony. Sure, they teased each other, had more than one wrestling match wherever the urge struck and even called each other names sometimes. They’d always done that. Where had he fucked up?

“It’s fine, sweetheart,” Maria said with loving eyes.

“We have an important question for you, Clint,” Howard said. “All we ask is that you’re honest and no answer you give will be wrong.”

“Nothing you say will lesson how we feel about you, Clint,” Maria assured him.

“Okay.” Clint was still nervous and his eyes shifted to each person in the room. Obadiah still had the same smile-not smile on his face.

“Since you’ve been here, Clint,” Howard began. “You’ve become an important part of our family. I know you didn’t have the best of beginnings and we…I…had felt a good education was all you needed. Since you’ve lived here, you’ve received the best of what we could offer.” Howard stood and went to Clint. He put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “More importantly, you’ve given us the best of yourself and more love than we ever imagined.”

“Wow,” Clint whispered. “I feel safe here. Never had that before. Do you want me to leave?”

“God, no,” Tony blurted. “Geez, Dad, tell him before Disney gets here and starts filming.”

Howard’s smile was genuine. “Clint, Maria and I want to adopt you. Will you be our son?”

“What?” Clint was floored. No way did he ever see it coming.

“Think about it. You don’t have to answer now,” Maria explained.

“Is this for real?” Clint asked. Did they really want him?

“We all love you, Clint. You’ve been a part of our family from the beginning,” Howard insisted. “We want to make it official, if you’ll have us.”

“I…” Clint faltered and couldn’t blink away the tears fast enough. He wiped them away with the back of his hand.

“Sweetheart.” Maria was on her feet and pulling Clint close. “It’s all right. You don’t have to say yes.”

Holding her with his head on her shoulder, Clint said, “I wanna say yes. I never had a family like this before and I want to keep you all.”

Clint raised his head when he saw Tony move closer. “You’ve got us. We’ve got you and that dog you’ve been letting sleep in the garage.”

Turning to Howard, Clint nodded. “I’d love to be your son.”

Obadiah went to Clint and patted him on the shoulder and shook his hand a little too hard. “Welcome to the family, my boy.”

“Thanks.” Clint didn’t think he was as happy as he looked.

Tony grabbed Clint and tightly hugged him. “Love you, little bro.”


End file.
